By Alexandria Dennise San Juan
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has issued special permit to 1,355 bus units for a more convenient travel for passengers during the long break this 'Undas' season.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Based on the data released by the LTFRB, the Board has issued special permits to 537 units in the Central Office, 682 units in Region 4, five units in Region 5, seven units in Region 6, 97 units in Region 7, eight units in Region 8, 15 units in Region 10, and four units in Region 11.
The duration of the special permit will run from October 30 to November 5, the period with heaviest traffic of people moving out of the cities and back again.
The LTFRB started receiving applications for special permits since the last week of September to augment provincial buses in catering the expected influx of passengers going to provinces for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
During the process of securing a special permit, LTFRB makes sure that the number of applied units is at 25 percent of total authorized units per route.
The unit must also not be more than 10 years old, and passengers should have insurance.
A special permit is issued by the LTFRB during holidays, such as Undas, Holy Week, and Christmas season, for bus operators to allow commuter buses to travel outside their route to help address the influx of passengers.
Aside from providing a special permit, the Board has placed helpdesk in major transport terminals, while the LTFRB hotline is available for passengers 24 hours.
Series of continuous on-site inspections on bus terminals in Metro Manila by the LTFRB with other government agencies is also ongoing to ensure safe and secure travel this Undas season.